As a child I had a friend E. whose father wore orthopedic shoes everyday. As kids do ,we would laugh and joke about them and fein embarrasment when he wore them. The irony of this is that these are almost the same exact shoes I have worn thoughout my career.
Working in a kitchen requires you to have a good sturdy set of shoes because you are standing on your feet 10-12 hours a day. You also need to keep in mind the slippy surfaces of the floor and the accidental knife being dropped…….by your foot.
I have gone through many brands of shoes in the kitchen and finally found the shoes that worked perfectly for me.
I bought my first pair of Dansko shoes (dansko.com) FIVE YEARS ago, and they have been with me since then. I am not a “shoe” person, so I have taken to wearing them almost everyday. They have a great arch support for my bad back and they are black which goes with everything. Thay are also slip resistant, water proof and very durable.
Last week I noticed a slight tear on the top of my right shoe. I pretended that it was not there, I love my shoes and I was in denial that the shoes were done. Today the rip is about one inch long and keeps growing bigger.
So it is time to retire my shoes and invest in another pair. Dansko has come a long way since I ordered my first pair so I can choose from a variety of colors and styles. But I think I might just stick to what I know and get my Black Sonja Stapled Clogs and call it a day.
Happy Cooking!
Chef Alekka